Hydrophilic

Hydrophilic refers to the physical property of a molecule that can bond with water through hydrogen bonding. This term is often used to describe substances that dissolve easily in water. The word hydrophilic comes from the Greek words for water (hydro) and friend (philos).

Overview

A hydrophilic molecule or substance is attracted to water. Water is a polar molecule that forms hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrophilic molecules also have polar groups due to the presence of highly electronegative atoms.

Properties

Hydrophilic substances can seem to attract water. They can dissolve in water and other polar solvents. Hydrophilic molecules get dissolved in water because of their potential to form Hydrogen bonds with water.

Hydrophilic Interactions

In the case of a chemical reaction, if a substance is hydrophilic, it will likely dissolve in water and react with it. This can be seen in many biological reactions that occur in the body, where many of the reactants are hydrophilic.

Hydrophilic Substances

Examples of hydrophilic substances include salts, sugars, and acids. These substances will readily mix with water. On the other hand, hydrophobic substances do not mix with water (e.g., oils and fats).

Hydrophilic in Biology

In biology, many substances are hydrophilic, which allows them to be dispersed throughout a cell or organism. All cells use water as a solvent that creates the solution, or cytosol, inside the cell. This allows the cell to have a consistent internal environment.

See Also

• Hydrophobic
• Hydrogen bond
• Polar molecule
• Chemical reaction
• Cytosol

References

Hydrophilic Resources
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